Although NHL players still don’t make nearly the same amount of money as their NBA, NFL, and MLB counterparts, hockey’s brightest stars are enjoying an all-time high salary cap that’s putting more money in their pockets than ever before.

The top 25 highest paid players in the NHL will make $267.85 million collectively during the 2018-19 season, an 8.6% increase from the $244.78 million last year’s top 25 brought in.

This year’s list of the highest-paid players in the NHL includes 12 centers, seven wingers, five defensemen, and just one goaltender. The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals lead the league with three players in the top-25 apiece.

25. Ryan Getzlaf — $8,950,000

One thing to know: Getzlaf has ranked in the top-10 in points during three different seasons and ranks 8th among all active players in that metric.

t18. Ryan Suter — $9,000,000

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Team: Minnesota Wild

Position: Defenseman

All-Star games: Three in 13 seasons

Contract: 13 years, $98 million

One thing to know: With a father who won gold in the United States’ “Miracle on Ice” and a four-time NHL All-Star uncle, Suter was born to play hockey. Despite his impressive bloodlines, Suter has earned his own reputation one of the most selfless, hardworking defensemen in the league.

t18. Zach Parise — $9,000,000

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Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Team: Minnesota Wild

Position: Left Wing

All-Star games: One in 13 seasons

Contract: 13 years, $98 million

One thing to know: Parise played the first seven seasons of his career with the New Jersey Devils before signing a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Wild as a free agent to return to his home state of Minnesota.

t18. Evander Kane — $9,000,000

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Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Team: San Jose Sharks

Position: Left Wing

All-Star games: Zero in nine seasons

Contract: Seven years, $49 million

One thing to know: The son of a boxer, Kane is a known bruiser who has led his team in hits in multiple seasons throughout his career. He spent time with the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, and Buffalo Sabres before getting traded to the Sharks in February 2018.

t18. Brent Seabrook — $9,000,000

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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Position: Defenseman

All-Star games: One in 13 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $55 million

One thing to know: Seabrook has won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and has contributed three overtime game-winning goals in the playoffs over the course of his 13-year career.

t18. Claude Giroux — $9,000,000

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Position: Center

All-Star games: Five in 11 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $66.2 million

One thing to know: In addition to being a major threat on the offensive end, the 19th captain in Flyers history has won at least 52% of his face-offs in each of the last seven seasons.

t18. Corey Perry — $9,000,000

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Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Team: Anaheim Ducks

Position: Right Wing

All-Star games: Four in 12 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $69 million

One thing to know: A notorious troublemaker with a reputation for agitating opponents, Perry is the Ducks’ all-time leader in penalty minutes. He is also a prolific goal scorer and ranks second all-time in goals for Anaheim behind Teemu Selanne.

t18. Leon Draisaitl — $9,000,000

Team: Edmonton Oilers

Position: Center

All-Star games: Zero in four seasons

Contract: Eight years, $68 million

One thing to know: A Cologne, Germany, native, Draisaitl helped the 2016-17 Oilers to their first postseason appearance in 11 years, leading the team with 16 points in their 13 playoff games.

17. Jakub Voracek — $9,250,000

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Team: Philadelphia Flyers

Position: Right Wing

All-Star games: One in 10 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $66 million

One thing to know: In the only NHL All-Star Game appearance of his career, Voracek tied Mario Lemieux’s All-Star Game scoring record with three goals and three assists.

t15. Steven Stamkos — $9,500,000

Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

Position: Center

All-Star games: Five in 10 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $68 million

One thing to know: Stamkos has twice earned the Richard Trophy – awarded to the top NHL goal scorer each season – and has scored a whopping 348 goals over the course of his 10-year career. That total would be even higher if not for the season-ending leg injuries he sustained during the 2013-14 and 2016-17 seasons.

t15. Evgeni Malkin — $9,500,000

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Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Position: Center

All-Star games: Four in 12 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $76 million

One thing to know: Malkin – who was picked second in the 2004 NHL Draft behind Alex Ovechkin – has won three Stanley Cup championships as well as the Hart Trophy, two Art Ross Trophies, the Ted Lindsay Award, and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

t9. Brent Burns — $10,000,000

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Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Team: San Jose Sharks

Position: Defenseman

All-Star games: Five in 14 years

Contract: Eight years, $64 million

One thing to know: Burns has played both forward and defense throughout his career, but he has been at the top of his game since permanently transitioning to defense during the 2014-15 season. He became the first player in Sharks franchise history to earn the Norris Trophy, an award given to the season’s top defenseman, in 2017.

t9. Sidney Crosby — $10,000,000

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Bruce Bennett/Getty

Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Position: Center

All-Star games: Three in 13 seasons

Contract: 12 years, $104.4 million

One thing to know: Crosby made history as the youngest captain ever to win the Stanley Cup at 21 years old when the Penguins took down the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. He’s since brought home two additional Stanley Cups to Pittsburgh and has strung together one of the most impressive careers in NHL history.

t9. P.K. Subban — $10,000,000

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Jason Halstead /Getty Images

Team: Nashville Predators

Position: Defenseman

All-Star games: Three in nine seasons

Contract: Eight years, $72 million

One thing to know: One of the best defensemen in the league, Subban became the first black player in NHL history to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2013.

t9. Evgeny Kuznetsov — $10,000,000

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Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Team: Washington Capitals

Position: Center

All-Star games: One in five seasons

Contract: Eight years, $62.4 million

One thing to know: Kuznetsov was instrumental in the Capitals 2017-18 Stanley Cup run, leading the NHL with 32 points through 24 postseason contests.

t9. Jack Eichel — $10,000,000

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Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Team: Buffalo Sabres

Position: Center

All-Star games: One in four seasons

Contract: Eight years, $80 million

One thing to know: Eichel became the second freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award – given to the top college player in the country – after leading the nation in scoring during his only season at Boston University, and his success translated to the NHL right away.

t9. Alex Ovechkin — $10,000,000

Team: Washington Capitals

Position: Left Wing

All-Star games: Seven in 13 seasons

Contract: 13 years, $124 million

One thing to know: Ovechkin boasts the largest contract in the NHL, and for good reason. The prolific scorer has earned the Hart Trophy – awarded to the League MVP each season – three times in his 13-year career.

t5. John Carlson — $12,000,000

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Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Team: Washington Capitals

Position: Defenseman

All-Star games: Zero in nine seasons

Contract: Eight years, $64 million

One thing to know: Fans and NHL insiders overwhelmingly viewed Carlson’s absence from the 2017 and 2018 All-Star games as a major snub.

t5. Anze Kopitar — $12,000,000

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Getty Images

Team: Los Angeles Kings

Position: Center

All-Star games: Four in 12 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $80 million

One thing to know: Kopitar is the first Slovenian ice hockey player to make it to the NHL. The 31-year-old earned the Selke Trophy – the award for the NHL’s best defensive forward – in both 2015-16 and 2017-18.

t5. Jonathan Toews — $12,000,000

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Dilip Vishwanat/ Getty Images

Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Position: Center

All-Star games: Four in 11 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $84 million

One thing to know: Toews was named captain of the Blackhawks with just one NHL season under his belt, making him the only player in league history to be given the honor so quickly. He has since gone on to win three Stanley Cups for the Windy City.

t5. Patrick Kane — $12,000,000

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Claus Anderson/Getty

Team: Chicago Blackhawks

Position: Right Wing

All-Star games: Seven in eleven seasons

Contract: Eight years, $84 million

One thing to know: A Buffalo, New York, native, Kane became the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy with 106 points during the 2015-16 regular season.

4. Jamie Benn — $13,000,000

Team: Dallas Stars

Position: Left Wing

All-Star games: Two in nine seasons

Contract: Eight years, $76 million

One thing to know: Benn was selected in with the 129th overall pick of the 2007 NHL Draft, but he’s made all of the teams who passed on him pay ever since with an average of 66 points per season over his career.

t2. Connor McDavid — $15,000,000

Team: Edmonton Oilers

Position: Center

All-Star games: Two in three seasons

Contract: Eight years, $100 million

One thing to know: When he signed his contract in July of 2017, McDavid secured the largest annual cap hit in NHL history at $12.5 million per year.

t2. Carey Price — $15,000,000

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Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Team: Montreal Canadiens

Position: Goaltender

All-Star games: Six in 11 seasons

Contract: Eight years, $84 million

One thing to know: Price has spent his entire career with the Canadiens and posted one of the best seasons for a goaltender in the history of the NHL with a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals against average.

1. John Tavares — $15,900,000

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Position: Center

All-Star games: Five in eight seasons

Contract: Seven years, $77 million

One thing to know: Tavares signed his massive contract with Toronto this offseason after spending nine seasons and becoming one of the NHL’s brightest stars with the New York Islanders. The Mississauga, Ontario, native grew up rooting for the Maple Leafs throughout his childhood.

Now, see which NHL players made our year-end list for the top sports plays…